Configuring Commander and WinWarbler for CW and RTTY Operation with an Elecraft K3, K3S, KX3, or K4 using CAT Commands

An Elecraft K3, K3S, KX3, or K4 can be directed to transmit CW, report decoded CW, transmit RTTY, and report decoded RTTY via CAT commands, eliminating the need for any external interface. Doing so requires both WinWarbler and Commander to be running, with Commander configured to control an Elecraft K3, K3S, or KX3. Note that a connected P3 configured to display decoded CW or RTTY interferes with the K3's ability to report decoded CW or RTTY to Commander, and thus must be disabled.

Transmitting and Receiving CW

To enable WinWarbler to transmit CW via CAT command, set the Keying panel on the CW Tab of its Configuration window to Xcvr Ctrl App, and enable the transceiver's VOX function.

To enable WinWarbler to display CW decoded by your radio,

  1. Configure your radio to decode CW, as described in the CW Text Decode Setup section of your radio's owners manual

  2. In the Radio panel on the General tab of Commander's Configuration window,

    1. if the Command interval is set to more than 200, set it to 200

    2. check the Interrogation box

    3. check the Convey decoded CW to WinWarbler box

  3. On the CW tab of WinWarbler's Configuration window, check the display xmit/rcv characters box

  4. On WinWarbler's Main window, set the Operating Mode panel to CW

CW decoded by your radio will appear in the CW receive pane on WinWarbler's Main window. Decoded information can be captured by double-clicking.

Transmitting and Receiving RTTY

To enable WinWarbler to transmit RTTY via CAT command and display RTTY decoded by your radio,

  1. Configure your radio
    1. place the radio in DATA mode, FSK D submode

    2. ensure that the radio's FSK speed is set correctly (45 bps is the normal setting for amateur RTTY)

    3. follow the instructions for RTTY decoding in the Data Text Decode Setup section of your radio's owners manual

  2. On the General tab of Commander's Configuration window,

    1. set the RTTY sub-mode to FSK

    2. In the Radio panel,

      1. if the Command interval is set to more than 200, set it to 200

      2. check the Interrogation box

      3. check the Convey decoded RTTY to WinWarbler box

  3. In the FSK sub-panel in the Modulation and transceiver mode panel on the RTTY tab of WinWarbler's Configuration window,

    1. click the LSB button

    2. set the Xcvr Mode selector to the right of the LSB button to RTTY

    3. set the Mark offset to -2125

    4. set the Optimal Offset to 2210

    5. set the FSK Control to none

  4. On the PTT tab of WinWarbler's Configuration window, set the Mode panel to Xcvr Ctrl App and the Port panel to none

  5. On the External Modem tab of WinWarbler's Configuration window,

    1. set the Model selector to Xcvr Ctrl App

    2. In the FSK sub-panel in the Modulation and transceiver mode panel,

      1. click the LSB button

      2. set the Xcvr Mode selector to the right of the LSB button to RTTY

      3. set the Mark offset to -2125

      4. set the Optimal Offset to 2210

    3. check the RTTY panel's enabled box

  6. On WinWarbler's Main window,

    1. set the Operating Mode panel to RTTY

    2. set the QSO selector to X in the RTTY Transmit panel so that all text typed into the transmit pane will be transmitted via your radio, no matter which receive pane is active

RTTY decoded by your radio will appear in the the External Modem receive pane (denoted by an X in its left margin) on WinWarbler's Main window. Decoded information can be captured by double-clicking.

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K3CWRTTYXcv (last edited 2023-05-07 05:48:33 by AA6YQ)